Tuesday, February 27, 2018

You have a God-given destiny, and He hasn't forgotten it!

I had a dream recently. In the dream, I was in a troop (looking like a military unit), and I belonged to that particular troop. We were facing and warring against another troop, which belonged to the enemy. There were times we did some experiments in our laboratory, made mistakes, 'bombed', and as a consequence, our own laboratory and belongings were burned. It really did look foolish on our part. We were suffering losses, and were actually heading for a defeat. However, in the end, somehow we prevailed and had our victory. How we won, I didn't know. The dream ended there.

As I woke up from the dream, I was encouraged by the fact that in spite of the weaknesses (and foolishness) we had, we somehow prevailed and had our victory in the end!

And that's when I heard the Lord speak:
"Tell and remind My people that they are a people of destiny! They may have 'bombed' it at times, they may have stumbled, and even fallen down at times; but I will teach them to complete the race till the end! I am a God who has the final say!"

I then heard further:
"This is a time to receive a new strength to walk and keep walking in your God-given destiny!"

People of God, we are living in the end of days, and the spiritual war in these last days are real. The enemy is all-out to steal, kill and destroy God's destiny, calling, and vision for your life. And his aim is to rob you of your inheritance in God. But the truth is he will never prevail against you, if you don't give in. 

In Philippians 1:6, the apostle Paul wrote, 'Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ'. Just as 'when God opens a door, no man can shut', and 'if a promotion comes from the Lord, no one can take it away'; it is the same with God's destiny for your life! If God has started it, no one can stop it!

What, then, is the meaning of 'destiny'? It simply means 'the future (or events) of a person that has been planned and purposed by the Lord'. Psalm 139:16 (NCV) says, '...All the days planned for me were written in Your book before I was one day old'. And Psalm 139:17-18 (NKJV) says, 'How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You'. You know what? You are precious, and special in God's eyes! And your life isn't an accident! You have a destiny, one that only you can walk in it!

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says, 'For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago'. You see? You are not just a face in the crowd, or a number among the billions on earth! You are God's masterpiece, made anew in Christ Jesus, so that you will fulfill all that God has planned for your life!

Psalm 37:18-19 (NKJV) says, 'The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied'. The expression 'the days' here are 'yowm' in Hebrew, which can mean 'chronicles (a record of the events in one's life); the destiny in one's life'! I can therefore say the Lord knows the destiny of His righteous, and you (the righteous) shall never be ashamed in these last days!

Now that you know He has a destiny for you, some of you may ask, "How do I begin walking in my God-given destiny?"

Psalm 37:3-4 (NKJV) says, 'Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart'. 

The word 'delight' here is 'awnag' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to be happy with; to be soft (to be pliable, or easily bent)'. At the time of writing this psalm, David had seen life long enough (Psalm 37:25), and he concluded that no matter what had happened (in and around your life), keep putting your trust in the Lord and learn to 'be happy with' the Lord!

Have you ever asked what is the opposite of the word 'delight' in this verse? I did! I have sought the Lord, and I shall give you the answer now. The answer is 'blame'! In other words, blaming self, blaming God, or blaming others, for whatever that had happened to you! What then is the opposite of the word 'soft'? The answer, of course, is 'hard'! In other words, being hard on self, hard on God, or hard on others! 

When you learn to stop the 'blame', and stop 'being hard', that's when you'll also see how good the Lord is, and how much He wants to give you the desires of your heart! You can't worship Him and trust Him with a blaming, hardened heart, can you? But when you delight yourself in the Lord and soften your heart before Him in worship, that's when you'll also see God's destiny and your heart's desires meet!

So, beloved of God, whatever had happened in your past, let not your heart be discouraged, and never compare with others. All is not lost, and it's never too late yet! He can redeem your lost time! To Him, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day! What man can achieve in a thousand years, God can accomplish it within a day! If you have 'stumbled', 'fallen', 'bombed', made mistakes in life, or even missed an opportunity along the way, the Lord wants you to know that He hasn't forgotten youPsalm 37:24 (NKJV) says, 'Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand'. I am not encouraging you to make foolish mistakes (or to sin), but if somehow you have fallen into it (and you feel real bad about it), stop condemning yourself any further, turn over a new leaf, and let the Lord lift you up again

Don't dwell in that self-pity or 'blame-game' any longer! This is YOUR time! There's an anointing being released to you right now! Take it! Receive it! Old things have passed away, and all things have become new! This is your time to receive a new strength to start walking in your God-given destiny! This is your time to declare that 'you will rise up stronger'! Yes, stronger than ever before! With God, you can! In Jesus' name! Amen!

Monday, February 12, 2018

Receive the outpouring of God's love

Romans 5:5 (NKJV): Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Notice the expression 'the love of God has been poured out' here? Yes, this is the time to declare that God has started His good work in your life! And His love has been poured out in your hearts, and the outworking of His love has begun! Philippians 1:6 says, 'The good work God has begun in you, He will also bring it to full completion'!

I heard and released these words from the Lord recently:
"I am pouring out My Spirit and My power upon you! Even My miraculous power! You have asked, you have prayed, and now I have given! Only believe and receive! And do not doubt! The enemy may be trying to sow seeds of doubt and accusation against you, but My grace is enough for you to overcome and you shall see your victory!"

I then heard and released further:
"When My Spirit is poured out, My LOVE is also poured out! Because the first fruit of My Spirit is LOVE!"

Indeed, where there is outpouring of His Spirit, there'll also be outpouring of His LOVE! Because His Spirit is first and foremost the Spirit of LOVE! Galatians 5:22-23 says, 'But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...' You see, it is not something you try to muster or conjure up. It is imparted to you by the Holy Spirit. When God's LOVE is being poured out on you, you'll know it, because there's a warmth and embrace in your spirit, a deep assurance inside you that no words can describe. Your part is simply to allow Him.

When you know how much God loves you, you'll also know how much God wants to heal you and give you victory in your life! And when you have this revelation how much God loves you, your life will begin to change to the better! From pride to humility, sickness to health, poverty to prosperity, sorrow to joy, and weakness to strength!

You don't have to look too far to see an example! Just look at Paul's life, and how God changed him from glory to glory! (2 Corinthians 3:18) From a proud, bigoted Pharisee, a persecutor of the church, and a murderer of Christians, one 'great light experience' (Acts 9:1-9) started a process of change in his life, and he was never the same again!

Amazingly, look now at the progression from pride to humility in his life, even in the way he described himself in his writings!
In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, he wrote, 'For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain...' 
About five years later, in Ephesians 3:8, he wrote, 'To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ'.
And finally, towards the end of his life, in 1 Timothy 1:15, he wrote, 'This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief'.

From the least of the apostles, to the least of all the saints, and finally, the least of all the sinners! People of God, if God could change Paul by His LOVE and grace, we all have hope! And as Romans 5:5 says, this hope does not disappoint! Why? Because God's LOVE that is being poured out will not fail you! (1 Corinthians 13:8) Just a few lines after Romans 5:5, Paul himself wrote in Romans 5:8, 'But God demonstrates His own LOVE toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us'. You know what this means? Because God so loved us, He gave us grace (i.e. Christ Jesus)! And it is by the grace of God (i.e. the ability of God) that we are being changed!

Paul had a deep revelation of God's LOVE, and how LOVE is the greatest in the spiritual realm. In Colossians 3:12-14, he wrote, 'Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfection'. The word 'bond' here in Greek is 'sundesmos', meaning 'joint to' (like ligament joining two bones). 'Joint to' what? Joint to 'perfection'! And what is this 'perfection'?

In 1 Corinthians 13:8-11, Paul wrote, 'LOVE never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things'.

Notice 'when that which is perfect has come', and see the word 'perfect' here? This 'perfect' is none other than God's LOVE! By the way, the words 'love', 'loved' or 'loving' appear in New King James Version (NKJV) Bible about 500 times! Interestingly, the number '500' in Hebrew speaks of 'the fullness of God'. 'To be perfect' is therefore 'to be filled with the fullness of God's LOVE'! 

The 'childish things' here can be anything that isn't LOVE. You can see that in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 which Paul wrote, 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not LOVE, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not LOVE, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not LOVE, it profits me nothing. LOVE suffers long and is kind, LOVE does not envy; LOVE does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endure all things. LOVE never fails...'

In 1 Corinthians 13:12-13, Paul continued, 'For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE'. 

Right after that, Paul put everything else into perspective, and showed us LOVE is foremost. In 1 Corinthians 14:1-2, he wrote, '(Therefore) Pursue LOVE, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries'. You see, without LOVE, ministering with spiritual gifts will be empty. But with LOVE, ministering with spiritual gifts brings forth a whole new meaning to ministry!

Beloved of God, receive the impartation of God's LOVE in your life today! And your life will never be the same again. Amen!

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Preparing to walk in the supernatural and manifest glory

I had a dream the other night. In the dream, I was going to pray for two persons in a house. First, a man looking like a businessman having a certain status, power, position, and privilege, even in the church. As I approached him to pray for him, he pointed me to another direction, turned away, and therefore, I could not pray for him. Second, a child looking like a difficult child having an attitude problem. As I approached him to pray for him, God's love touched him so deep that he shed tears. People were shocked, wondering how could this be. They knew this must be God's doing!

Having woken up from the dream, I asked the Lord what this dream meant. Of course, one of the first questions that came to mind was, 'Who, between these two persons, experienced the manifest glory?' The answer is obvious. It has to be the child! That's when I heard these words from the Lord: "Teach My people how to prepare for the supernatural and for My manifest glory this year!"

The word 'manifest' can be defined as 'something evident, apparent, clear, and obvious to the eye'. It means people will see and will know the glory of the Lord is upon you! Isaiah 60:1-2 says, 'Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you'.

People of God, no matter what happens around you in the world, this is your time to walk in the supernatural and manifest glory of the Lord! Supernatural manifestations, supernatural events, supernatural healing, supernatural health, supernatural providence, supernatural finance, supernatural favor, supernatural wisdom, supernatural open doors, and the list goes on! Believe and receive by faith in your life this year!

The dream also reminded me of Matthew 18:1-4 that says, 'At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."'

Notice the expression 'enter the kingdom of heaven' here. This word 'kingdom' is 'basileia' in Greek, meaning 'rule, reign, power (like a royalty)'. I can therefore say to 'enter the kingdom of heaven' is to 'enter the rule, reign, power of heaven'. In other words, walking in 'heavenly rule, heavenly reign, heavenly power'! Where? In heaven only? No! Here on earth as well! In Matthew 6:9-10, Jesus taught us to pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom ('basileia') come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven'!

But you see, there is a key here, as mentioned in Matthew 18:1-4, i.e. becoming 'like little children'. In other words, being 'child-like'. What does it mean by being 'child-like'? It simply means 'innocence, having total trust (and submission)' before the Lord. This involves humility on our part. God gives grace (His ability, His supply) to the humble, but He resists the proud (1 Peter 5:5). Yes, indeed, this is a time to lay down our pride, put down our 'masks', and do away with our 'facade'. And be 'child-like'. There is a difference between being 'child-like' and being 'childish'.

People of God, may we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). Amen.

Note: The secrets of apostle Paul walking in continuous 'kingdom of heaven' on earth, as written in 1 Thessalonians chapters 3,4,5:

A. Receive His love, and you'll love one another
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (NKJV): And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

B. Receive His holiness, and you'll walk in holiness
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NKJV): For this is the will of God, your sanctification ('hagiasmos'= holiness); that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God... For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. 

C. Focus on your calling, and not be a 'busybody'
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NKJV): That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

D. Being watchful and sober in your spirit
1 Thessalonians 5:5-9 (NKJV): You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

E. Rejoice always and pray without ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NKJV): Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench (extinguish, put out) the Spirit.